Kooij falls short in bunch sprint and has to leave victory in the fourth Giro stage to Milan | Cycling

Just like Monday, there was a surprising attack on the last hill, which is an annual part of the Milan-San Remo route. Time trial specialist Filippo Ganna didn’t last long enough, causing a bunch sprint.

Kooij started early in the sprint, but in the end the Dutchman proved to be no match for Milan. The Visma-Lease a Bike sprinter ultimately finished in fourth place, behind Bauhaus, Groves and the all-powerful Milan.

For the 23-year-old Milan it is his second stage win in the Giro. Last year he won the second stage. Tim Merlier, who won the third stage on Monday after a spectacular final, was not involved on Tuesday and finished behind Kooij in fifth place.

The fourth stage from Acqui Terme to Andora was one for the sprinters, meaning Tadej Pogacar had a quiet day. The Slovenian retained the pink leader’s jersey without any problems and was able to follow the sprint violence from a distance.

Even during the stage we were able to cross off one name for the stage victory before the bunch sprint. Biniam Girmay, who won a stage in 2022 and finished third in the third stage on Monday, got off the bike quite early after two falls.

After the fall of Girmay, eyes were mainly focused on the Visma-Lease a Bike (Kooij) and Lidl-Trek (Milan) teams. They closed the gap with escapees Stefan de Bod and Francisco Muñoz 5 kilometers from the finish. Shortly afterwards, Ganna attacked, without success.

Simone Consonni then proved his worth as a sprint preparer for his compatriot Milan, who also thanked Ganna. The three protagonists are part of the strong Italian pursuit team on the track.